A Warrior's Tale
by Lhiannan-Sidhe
Summary: The story of Baldur's Gate told with a female protagonist. Chapter Two is done: After leaving Drizzt and Catti-brie's company, the two young travelers make their way the the Friendly Arm
1. Prologue

Andromeda

Baldur's Gate

The Lord of Murder shall parish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown in their footsteps.

Disclaimer: I do not own Baldur's Gate, the Forgotten realms or any of the characters from the game or the R.A Salvatore novels. I'm just borrowing them and I'm not making any money off of it. Andromeda, however is mine, so don't use her without asking.

Summery: The story of Baldur's Gate told with a female protagonist.

By: Lhianann-Sidhe

Prologue

Andromeda scowled at her refection in the windowpanes. She was fourteen, though she certainly didn't look it. Too slender, and far too small, she looked like a child. 

No, that wasn't right, she looked like an elf. An ugly elf.

Imoen keep telling her that it wouldn't be long; she couldn't possibly look like that forever. Eventually Andromeda would fill out and become very pretty, she certainly had pleasing features. Exotic, Imoen had said. Andromeda's grandfather had been from Kara-Tur, and it showed in Andromeda. 

Andromeda had always wished it hadn't, the other children had delighted in tormenting her about her unusual appearance, not that there were many children in Candlekeep. Imoen said that they teased her because they were jealous. 

She snorted. It was easy for Imoen to say that. Imoen was beautiful. Tall and slender, with honey blond hair, that, in the right light, picked up oddly pink tones. She was just starting to grow into womanhood. The boys were starting to notice Imoen.

Imoen had once said that wouldn't be surprised if someday Andromeda grew up to be a great beauty. Andromeda had laughed and said she would rather be a great warrior. To that her friend replied that if her lessons were any indication, she would likely be a great hero as well as a great beauty.

Andromeda smiled at the memory. She loved to fight. She was proud of the skill she already possessed. By the time she was ten, the other children had stopped including her in their makeshift tournaments. By the time she was twelve she could hold her own against many of the keep's guards. She had Gorion to thank for that, of course.

Gorien was her foster father. He had taken her in after her mother died in childbirth. Of her real father, Andromeda knew nothing.

Andromeda was thankful to Gorion. He had raised her as if she was his own child cared for her, taught her. She loved him as a father.

He raised her on stories, tales of heroes, wizards, and dragons. He told her tales of imaginary battles and real ones. He spoke of the Time of Troubles and told her about the heroes of Icewind Dale. She spent her days watching over the walls of Candlekeep, wishing that she could travel the Realms. She wanted nothing more then to become one of those great and noble warriors.

Gorion had originally wanted to train Andromeda as a wizard not a warrior. However it soon became apparent that Andromeda had neither the skill, nor the patience to become a skilled mage. So her foster father had found her an instructor to train her as a warrior.

He was Kara-Turian, tall and severe. He seemed to be a friend of Gorion's, a good friend. He spent years training Andromeda, yet he never requested payment. She knew very little about him. Gorion called him Nagayoshi, but Andromeda wasn't allowed to refer to him as such. She tried questioning Gorion about her instructor's origins, but he refused to tell her anything. Asking Nagayoshi about his past directly, was out of the question, she had never met anyone more intimidating in her life. However as frightening as her instructor was, she excelled under his care. He taught her fighting styles common to both the realms and Kara-Tur. 

She would never forget her first lesson. She had been too confident, and her teacher soon made her regret it. Afterwards she had been certain that he would refuse to teach such an incompetent child anything.

Andromeda had gone to speak with her foster father, only to find that Nagayoshi was already there. She had hid behind the door and listened. What she heard gave her hope, and raised questions.

"She has talent," Nagayoshi, had said.

"She needs discipline" he foster father replied.

"A surprising child, and such strength! I had thought it impossible!"

"It is impossible."

"Her father then?"

"How else?"

"Are you certain of this?" the warrior questioned.

"Yes, there can be no doubt."

"And the other orphan, the one called Imoen?"

There Gorion hesitated, "Yes, Imoen as well, I think, though it is not as apparent."

"Do you wish me to instruct her as well?"

"Imoen? No I think her skill lays elsewhere."

"Have you told them?"

"Told them what?"

"About their father."

"Of course not! They're only children! How would they take that particular revelation?"

"They have a right to know, if what you say is true."

"I will tell them. But they're far too young, when they are older, perhaps."

Andromeda had run off then, at the sound of approaching footsteps. Later, she had tried questioning Gorion about her real father, but he either refused to tell her or professed ignorance.

"Andromeda!" The sound of Imoen's voice pulled Andromeda out of her reverie. "Andi!" Andromeda cringed at the sound of her nickname. She hated it. It made her sound like boy.

"Coming Imoen!" she called as she raced out the door.

Her best friend waited at the bottom of the stairs. She gave Andromeda a panicked look. "You have to help me!" she squeaked.

Andromeda sighed, "What have you done this time?"

"Nothing! I swear it wasn't me this time." She started glancing around nervously.

"Imoen! Keep your voice down! You're in a library!" Andromeda took deep calming breaths. "Okay, tell me what happened." She said as she led Imoen to her room and closed the door.

"Well, you see there was this rich noble. He and his wife came to consult some books on heraldry or something like that. And she brought this necklace, I saw it my self it was really nice. And now she says someone broke into their room and took it."

Andromeda groaned "So of course now everyone thinks you did it."

"I can't possibly think why." Imoen stammered.

"You know very well why! Whenever anything disappears, it's always you!" Andromeda scolded.

"Well sure, sometimes as practical jokes, but I'd never take something for real. I'm not a thief!"

"You are a thief, but that's besides the point." Andromeda looked over her friend's face. "Okay, I believe you. What do you want me to do?" she sighed.

"Well just tell them I was here with you, they'll believe you."

"I can't lie to Gorion!"

"Please, it's not like I did anything wrong, and they won't believe me otherwise!" Imoen pleaded.

"Alright, alright, fine, I'll do it. But if I find out that you really did take it I'll make you regret it"

"Great, thank you so much." Imoen smiled. "So how did lessons go today? The grouchy guy throttle you again?" Imoen asked.

Andromeda smiled back. "Nope, well, not as much a usual. But he did say that his old arms couldn't take anymore of my young blows. That and I broke a wooden sparing sword."

Imoen laughed at that. "How did you manage that?"

Andromeda blushed, "Well I swung at him and he moved and I sort of hit a tree with it. It broke and the pieces went flying all over."

"I wish I could do that," at Andromeda's look Imoen chuckled. "You've a gift, you're one of the strongest people I know, and look how young ya are. You are gonna to be a force to be feared, Andromeda, and I'm going to be there to see it."

* * * * * * *

Andromeda looked out over the causeway leading away from Candlekeep from the fortress walls. Her mentor, Nagayoshi, had walked down that path not long ago, only three days before her sixteenth birthday. Andromeda knew he would never return.

So much had changed over the past few years.

Imoen had taken up archery when Gorion gave her a bow. She had found she had a natural talent for it, and her new hobby kept her fingers out of other people's purses. Andromeda approved of the change, even if Imoen was a little lax in her practice. The episode with the noblewoman's necklace had forced Imoen to realize what the consequences of thievery could be.

Gorion had taken Andromeda's word when she told him that Imoen was not responsible, the nobles, Lord and Lady Torven, and their young son Kalen, had not. But Imoen was spared when, Andromeda, noticing a bird's nest, climbed a tree to get at the eggs. To her surprise she found three magpie eggs, a bit of shiny wire, a small ring, and a pendent on a gold chain. Andromeda had returned the necklace to Lady Torven, who apologized to Imoen, but since no one claimed the ring Andromeda had offered it as a donation to the Candlekeep's temple. The priest had laughed and insisted that Andromeda keep it as reward for her discovery.

Andromeda ran her finger over the small blue stone. She had changed most of all.

Puberty, late in coming, had hit her fast and hard. She soon found herself taller than Imoen. She no longer resembled a child by any stretch of the imagination. Her legs seemed to have grown longer, her muscles firmer and her figure decidedly more curvy. She wasn't certain she approved of the latter. As a child Andromeda had desperately wanted to grow. Now she thought adulthood was more trouble then it was worth.

The windowpanes no longer reflected a bright-eyed child; instead they showed a pretty, yet oddly severe young woman. Four feet of hair, pulled into a tight braid framed a pale, green-eyed face. Her eyes were Kara-Turian, though the rest of her features were not. Imoen said she was beautiful.

Andromeda hated it.

As a child her unusual appearance set her apart, now it singled her out completely. She wanted acceptance more then anything else when she was younger. She had no friends, save Imoen and now Noochie, young priest in training, but then Imoen was like that, she made friends with everyone, and Noochie was new to Candlekeep.

When other children were playing games, she was receiving lessons from Nagayoshi. She didn't mind very much at first, but as time went on it became increasingly obvious that Candlekeep's small group of children was avoiding her, all except for Imoen.

Andromeda wondered, briefly, why Imoen's opinions mattered to her so much.

Andromeda pulled her gaze away from the causeway. That morning Gorion had told her that they were leaving Candlekeep. He hadn't even given her a warning. He had just come to speak with her, interrupting her morning chores. Imoen was staying behind, and so was Noochie. She didn't want to leave them, but the thought of leaving Candlekeep excited and frightened her. Freedom at last! Her careful inquiries to Gorion had yielded no results; she hadn't expected them to. She never seemed to get answers from him.

She walked along the wall, feeling the weight of her new long swords at her waist. They had been early birthday presents from Gorion and Nagayoshi, and Nagayoshi has trained her in their use. Since she was ambidextrous, she should learn how to use two blades, or so Nagayoshi had said, but she still seemed to get the two blades tangled together far too often for her own liking. He had also said that she should be wielding a katana, but it was impossible to find such fine Kara-Turian weapons in this part of the realms.

Andromeda ran her fingers over the hilts. A weak tingle of magic tickled her fingers. Both blades held a minor enchantment that Gorion had laid upon them. She was thankful for the gift, even if she couldn't use it properly.

She gazed down from the wall. She could see the temple from her vantagepoint. Andromeda had already said goodbye to Imoen, now it was time to say goodbye to Noochie.

She looked over to the branches of a nearby tree. If she made the jump she could then climb down in a fraction of the time it would take her to go down the stairs in one of the guard towers. She smiled to herself. This was going to be fun.

She carefully positioned herself and leapt. She was free in the air for a sickening moment before her fingers wrapped around the tree branch. She held on and so did the limb, apparently it was strong enough. Unfortunately the limb bellow it wasn't. As soon as she landed on it she heard a load cracking sound. Her fall made a spectacular amount of noise.

As Andromeda straitened up and dusted herself off she heard someone laughing behind her. She turned around to find herself looking into Kalen's face, amusement in his eyes.

When Lord and Lady Torven had returned home they had left their son Kalen behind, to be properly schooled. Andromeda thought it was because they couldn't stand him, she certainly couldn't. He was her age, handsome, with noble features, and shoulder length black hair. Just then, those features were twisted into a smirk.

"My you're certainly durable."

"Go away Kalen, I don't want to talk to you today." She said as she brushed past him.

He caught her wrist as she passed. "Oh? And why is that?" he asked

She pulled her hand away with surprising ease. "I just don't."

He scowled and called after her as she walked away. "Wait! I was told that you are leaving Candlekeep."

She turned to look at him, studying his face for signs that he was going to insult her again. "Yes, what of it?"

He looked at her with sincerity in his eyes, "Just wanted to say goodbye," he then grinned mischievously "And I was wondering if I was going to get a goodbye kiss."

Andromeda almost slapped him, before she reminded herself that slapping a noble's son, and most likely dislodging his jaw, would not have been wise under any circumstances. She simply had to content herself with stomping off and ignoring his calls after her.

* * * * * * *

Noochie was not in the temple, so she went instead to the priest's rooms. He was not there either, but someone else was.

The man grinned at her with bad teeth. "You're Gorion's brat, aren't you?"

Andromeda studied the man; she did not know him. He was dirty and his clothing was torn. He smelled of alcohol. "I am his child, if that's what you mean." She replied carefully.

"No you're not his child, not his real child anyway. You wouldn't be of any use to me if you were."

"Use to you?" she echoed in confusion.

"You're my ticket out of this life." He grinned as he drew a dagger.

The second before he attacked her, a though ran through her mind. _What kind of idiot would attack someone carrying a sword, with only a dagger?_

She took a step back before drawing her blade. For a moment she forgot her training. She stumbled back a few more steps and almost lost her balance before she remembered to attack. With one blow she knocked the dagger from his hand, with a second she pierced his heart.

His body crumpled before her. He was dead. She had killed a man. She cleaned her blade and put it back in its sheath. She felt nothing except… elation? Pride? In a moment the feeling was gone and suddenly she realized what she had done. She screamed.

Andromeda ran out the door as fast as she could. On the way out she collided with Noochie. He caught her and she found herself looking into his plain face and concerned eyes.

"Andromeda! What's wrong? I heard you scream." He asked.

She stared into his eyes for a moment longer, and then broke down crying into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Noochie! There was a man in there and he tried to kill me, but I killed him, I didn't have to, but I did." She sobbed.

"Slow down! What happened? And why is your arm bleeding?"

Andromeda looked down at her arm and saw that it was covered with blood. She stared at it as the blood seeped into Noochie's plain green robe.

When had that happened? She didn't remember her attacker cutting her, but apparently he had.

"Andromeda! Andromeda!" Noochie was shaking her. "Andromeda, tell me what happened!"

She looked up into his big blue eyes, took a calming breath and told him.

Noochie took her to talk to one of the guards, and she told him what happened. Noochie healed the cut on her arm. Then she told the head priest what had happened, and then she told the Captain of the Guard. Then Imoen and Gorion showed up and Noochie told them what had happened. Andromeda went through the whole process in a state of shock.

The Guards cleared her of any wrongdoing; she had been protecting herself. Andromeda wasn't sure that they were entirely correct. The second after she disarmed the man he was helpless. She could have held him at sword point and called for help, but some part of her had insisted she kill him. She had wanted to kill him. 

When Gorion learned of the attack on her life, he announced that they were leaving that very night. Imoen accompanied Andromeda to her room to help her pack.

"Are you okay? I mean, you don't look so well." Imoen stuttered as they entered Andromeda's room.

Andromeda looked around the room for a moment, taking in every detail. She had kept it perfectly clean, Spartan in its simplicity. It was very much unlike the insane mess that Imoen called her own.

"I'm fine Imoen, really."

"You don't look fine." Imoen replied, suspiciously

"I'm okay, really." Andromeda added, "I'll be fine. After all," she said with a weak smile, "Heroes kill evil people all time, and they don't feel bad about it." She knew it was a ridiculous excuse, but she had to say something.

"Okay, if you say so." Imoen started folding Andromeda's plain clothing, tunics and hose, and putting it in a bag. Andromeda walked over to her small table and picked up a simple pencil sketch of her mother. It was the only way she could imagine how her mother had looked. She had been a close friend of Gorion's and when she had become ill she had asked him to take care to Andromeda, who was only an infant during the time. Large dark eyes, strait black hair, she looked very much like Andromeda did, and Gorion said they acted very much alike as well.

Andromeda put the picture into her pack. She looked around her room for anything else to take with her. She didn't have many possessions. No dolls or toys, nothing that she wanted to take with her. Then she remembered her flute. She found the small wooden instrument by her window. She placed it in the pack and closed it.

Imoen was watching her sadly. "I'm gonna miss you. Ya know."

Andromeda smiled weakly. "Don't worry, I'll come back and tell you all about it."

"Promise?" Imoen asked weakly.

"Promise." Andromeda replied.

* * * * * * *

Andromeda looked out the gates of Candlekeep; Gorion stood near her as they watched the sun begin to set. _Freedom at last_! She thought to herself. Yet some part of her could not help but feel she would miss her childhood home. Imoen and Noochie were standing near by. Kalen was watching from next to one of the trees.

"Listen very carefully." Gorion began, "If we ever become separated, it is imperative that you make your way to the Friendly Arms Inn. There you will find Khalid and Jaheira. They have long been my friends and you can trust them."

Andromeda nodded her understanding as they set out.

* * * * * * *

It took far longer then she had expected to cross the causeway. By the time they were traveling through the forest it was full dark. Andromeda could have sworn that she saw the forms of wolves or other creatures lurking in the darkness. Gorion had insisted that they leave the rode, for some reason or another. Andromeda saw a series of stone rings set in the ground in front of them and began to slow.

Gorion, noticing her lagging, tried to hurry her along. "Let's hurry child, the night can only get worse and we must find shelter soon. Don't worry, I will explain everything as soon as there is time." Her heart thrilled at that. She was to be told the truth at last. But then her father began to slow as well. "Wait, there is something amiss" Gorion halted completely. "We are in an ambush." He hissed.

"You're perceptive for an old man." Came a voice from the shadows. A tall armored man stepped out of the shadows between the trees. Soon other shapes followed his lead. Andromeda counted five; at least two of those were the towering forms of ogres. There may have been more figures then that, she couldn't be certain in the gloom. The armored monstrosity spoke again, "You know why I'm here! Hand over your ward and no one will be hurt. If you resist it will be a waste of your life."

Gorion scoffed at that, "You're a fool if you think I would trust your benevolence! Now step aside and you and your lackeys will be unhurt."

At her father's last comment, Andromeda could see the forms tensing for battle.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way, old man." With those last words the man in armor and his companions moved to attack.

"Run child!" Gorion called out, but Andromeda was already charging the nearest ogre.

"And leave you to fight by yourself? No chance!" Maybe she couldn't handle killing people, but ogres weren't really people, she told herself. She thought back to her studies, Ogres were exceptionally strong, but not very intelligent or fast. As the ogre brought down its first clumsy blow, Andromeda countered easily, and launched into an attack routine of her own. The creature blocked or dodged the first three blows, but the fourth and fifth hit their marks. For a second the creature was staring at its own intestines, before collapsing into a bloody, unmoving pile. As the ogre fell to the ground the blood splattered across young warrior's face. For a moment she felt that same feeling of elation. She adjusted her grip on her long sword and spun around to face her next opponent. 

Gorion seemed to be looked in combat with the armored man. The body of the other ogre, and at least one mage lay dead on the ground, the product of Gorion's spells. Andromeda, about to aid her father in his battle, suddenly heard what sounded like chanting coming from near by. She spun around quickly, and the action saved her life.

A second wizard had been hidden behind one of the ogres, and now she shot her spell at Andromeda. The flaming arrow struck her in the arm. She cried out in pain and rage. Injured and angered, Andromeda charged the wizard, who fumbled to prepare a spell. The magic did not come soon enough; Andromeda slashed the mages throat out in an instant. The woman collapsed before the enraged warrior. Andromeda peered down at her face. She wasn't a woman, but rather a girl! The dead body was not much older than Andromeda was herself.

"Please child, run!" Gorion called out once again, before letting one of his last spells loose at his attacker.

Frightened, confused, and injured, Andromeda ran.

Author's note: Greetings,

As those of you that read the story before can see, I've made a lot of changes, and expanded some bits, as well as correcting some of the spelling. I've been working on the next chapter, and now that school's out I should have much more time. Thank you for reading, and I accept all reviews! I apologize about the way it wouldn't accept anonymous reviews before.

BTW Kara-Tur is more or less equivalent to medieval Japan.


	2. Out of Candlekeep

Andromeda1

Baldur's Gate

The Lord of Murder shall parish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown in their footsteps.

Disclaimer: I do not own Baldur's Gate, the Forgotten realms or any of the characters from the game or the R.A Salvatore novels. I'm just borrowing them and I'm not making any money off of it. Andromeda, however, is mine, so don't use her without asking first. Come to think of it, so are Noochie and Kalen.

Summery: The story of Baldur's Gate told with a female protagonist.

By: Lhianann-Sidhe

Chapter One

Out of Candlekeep

When Andromeda had been ten years old, Gorion had suggested that she learn to ride. Winthrop, the tavern keeper, whom Imoen affectionately called "puff-guts", had taken her to the stables to begin lessons. Andromeda doubted that the large man could haul himself up onto a horse, at least without great difficulty on his part, and great suffering on the part of the horse. Wisely, she had kept those thoughts to herself. 

Imoen had chosen to tag along. Imoen always tagged along.

Winthrop had led her to a quiet bay gelding. Andromeda looked up at the horse and the horse looked down at her. The dislike was immediate and mutual. 

All her life Andromeda had loved animals, unfortunately most animals carried a strong dislike for her. With the exception of the keep's few cats (she had difficulty getting rid of the small loving group of felines that always seemed to be following her around) all the animals she encountered seemed to either back away from her, or immediately prepare to attack. Over the years and after several painful reminders Andromeda had developed a fear of dogs.

Looking in to the horse's eyes, Andromeda knew what its first action would be if she ever attempted to mount it.

"Umm, Winthrop, I don't think he likes me." She stuttered, backing away.

"Nonsense! There's no one old Chester doesn't like, there isn't. Nicest horse I ever met, he is!" Winthrop gave Andromeda an affectionate pat on the back. "And there's no way you're getting out of this that easily!"

"Yeah, Andi, don't be a coward!" Imoen chirped

Andromeda gave Imoen one of her best glares.

"Now then, come one miss, lets us take him outside and see if we can't instruct you in the basics." Winthrop said, as he took the horse by the reigns and ushered them all outside.

Standing in the sunlight, outside of Candlekeep's stables, Andromeda took another look at the horse, it seemed to be daring her to try and ride it. She set her jaw resolutely, and gave it a glare, just for good measure. She looked up at Winthrop took a deep breath and said, "Okay, so now what do I do?"

"Now you just put your foot into that stirrup there, that's a good girl, take the reigns and pull yourself up into the set. There we go, that wasn't so hard, was it?" He asked helping her get settled into the seat.

The moment she was firmly in place the horse reared up and then gave one powerful buck. For a brief second Andromeda saw Winthrop's frightened face as he was tossed aside. The horse gave a second heave, and it took all of Andromeda's strength to stay on. She felt as if all her bones were being slammed together and then jolted apart. She tightened her grip on the reigns and held on with her legs. She was going to show that stupid horse who was boss!

The horse gave one final buck, and she felt the reigns snap. _Oh no_, she though to herself as she was finally thrown free. She landed in a pile of hay and would have been uninjured, had some foolish stable-hand not left a pitchfork in the pile.

Andromeda first felt the jolt from her fall and then a searing pain in her shoulder. One of the prongs slashed through the skin on the outside of her arm, the other went strait though her shoulder.

She remembered looking at it in disbelief as blood poured out of the wound. Then she blanked out. When she awoke she found herself lying on the bed in her room. Her shoulder was recently healed and bandaged, and Winthrop lay in the chair near her, snoring. Since that day the tavern keeper had been oddly protective of her. He had felt responsible for her injury, and apologized profusely when he awoke.

Since that day she had been very careful to avoid horses.

* * * * * * *

What Andromeda remembered the most clearly was the searing pain.

She now found herself awaking to a similar pain. She fought the gradual rise to consciousness, it was so nice to sleep and dream! But something at the back of her mind was bothering her, dragging her back to the waking world. Slowly the dull ache in her arm gave way to a horrible burning. Still she fought it; consciousness meant pain, though in her current state she couldn't understand how or why.

Finally, she could sleep no longer. She opened her eyes to a leafy green blur. Andromeda blinked a few times, then brushed the branch out of her face. She tried to straiten herself up, but a horrible pain in her right arm stopped her. She turned her head slowly, to look at the injury. The magical arrow was gone. Fortunately there was very little blood. The heat from the burning arrow had automatically cauterized the wound.

With careful effort Andromeda stood up from the bed of branches and walked out of the underbrush. She looked around the area in confusion.

In an instant her memories of the previous night came back. Andromeda called out in grief and collapsed to her knees.

After she had fled the battle with the armored man and his servants, she had escaped into the thicker part of the woods and hidden herself there. Through most of the night she hid in the underbrush, as figures searched for her.

Footsteps approached her location, accompanied by the heavy clang of armor. Though the leaves she could only see their feet. As she had years before, she stood as still a possible, knowing that this time, if someone came towards her, she would have nowhere to run to. Carefully, wound her arms around her legs and pulled them closer. Despite the summer warmth, she stared to shiver. _And I thought I was a great warrior, so why am I hiding? Heroes don't run away! They face their enemies! _She tried as hard as she could not to sob. _I'm such a coward, a stupid coward! _She froze in place as she heard the armored man speak.

"Have you found her yet?" the monster asked, his demonic armor squealing.

"No my lord, we have not." Replied his servant in a noticeably shaking voice. She could hear the leaves cracking as he shifted his feet.

The monster growled, "I need not remind you of the consequences if she escapes."

"No my lord!" the voice responded in obvious fear. "Please my lord, what of her father?"

"Foster father!" the monster snapped, and the more calmly replied "The old fool is dead."

Afterwards she had fallen asleep in the brush.

Andromeda stood up and wiped away her tears. She wanted to be strong, but she did not know what to do. The hunters seemed to have departed, but Gorion was dead, a product of her own cowardice. If only she hadn't run away! They wanted her, not Gorion. If she had stayed would they have killed him? Her mind was filled with questions. Why did they seek her out? What could they possibly want with a penniless orphan?

Andromeda decided that she would be strong, for Gorion. She would find that armored fiend and… and… She found that she had clenched her fists in rage, and her nails had cut shallow gouges in her palms. She brought her hand up in front of her face and looked at the marks. Dark red blood slowly oozed out of the cuts. Andromeda turned away and cleaned her hands off on her tunic. It was already so stained and tattered that she didn't think that a little more blood would do it any harm.

She adjusted her sword belt, slung her pack over her shoulder, and chose a direction at random. She knew she was lost, having no idea where the stone circles or the main road were in relation to her current position. The walk proved to be long and boring. Her feet were starting to hurt, she longed for a bath, and the pain in her arm was maddening. She was however content that the wound was no serious, it was not bleeding and it seemed to be healing quickly. She carefully flexed her arm to ensure that the muscle would not go stiff. As she stood still she listened carefully to the sound of the wildlife. Something did not sound quite right. It took her a moment to realize that the something was the sound of footsteps, human footsteps.

She cursed herself for her carelessness and prepared to draw one of her swords, the action was cut shot by the appearance of a familiar blond head.

Imoen smiled at Andromeda and waved, before running up to her friend and speaking, "Sorry I followed you, but I never get out of Candlekeep and those monks are such a bore! Never have any decent coin in their pockets…"she cut off the sentence at the look Andromeda gave her. "I…I saw Gorion and I'm so sorry! I kind of figured something bad must have happened to you out here."

Andromeda sighed and looked away from her friend before asking, "How could you have known? Gorion didn't even tell me."

"I… accidentally… read a letter on his desk the other day. Can't remember exactly what it said, but he might still have it… it might still be on his… his body. Anyway, I'm not going to let you wander around here all alone." Imoen grinned shyly, as if not knowing what to expect from her closest friend. "Friends stick together, right?" She asked.

"Imoen," Andromeda began, "It could be dangerous. Someone already tried to… to… kill me, twice, and now Gorion is dead. I don't want you to get hurt" It didn't take her long to see that she had absolutely no chance of talking Imoen out of accompanying her.

"I'm going, like it or not." Imoen said stubbornly.

"Alright, alright, but what is Winthrop going to do without someone to help him keep the inn clean?" Andromeda asked with a tense smile.

"Yuck! Old Puff-Guts can just find someone else to do his dirty work for him. I'm going with you!" Imoen laughed.

"Thank you Imoen, I don't know what I'd do with out you." Andromeda looked around the forest. "We'd better get moving, those men might still be here."

Imoen nodded, and guessing that Andromeda had no idea where they were, she started to lead her towards the circle of stones.

* * * * * * *

Andromeda and Imoen walked between the bodies, the remains of last night's battle. Andromeda walked past the body of the girl mage she had killed and tried not to look at the corpse or remind her self about what she had done. Imoen bent down next to Gorion's remains, and carefully turned him over. Andromeda looked at the man who had raised her, and reflected that nothing could be more painful then this. His face, at least, was serene in death. She almost didn't notice when Imoen pulled a letter out from under his belt and handed it to her. Andromeda unrolled the parchment and began to read.

* * * * * * *

__

My Friend Gorion, 

Please forgive the abruptness with which I now write, but time is short and there is much to be done. What we have long feared may now come to pass, though not in the manner foretold, and certainly not in the proper time frame. As we both now forecasting these events has proven increasingly difficult, leaving little option other then a leap of faith. We have done what we can for those in thy care, but the time comes we must step back and let events take what course they will. We have been, perhaps, a touch too sheltering to this point.

Despite my desire to remain neutral in the matter, I could not, in good conscience, allow events to proceed without some measure of warning. The other side will move very soon, and I urge you to leave Candlekeep, this very night if possible. The darkness may seen equally threatening but a moving target is much harder to hit, regardless of how sparse the cover. A fighting chance is all that can be asked for at this point.

Should anything go awry, do not hesitate to seek aid from travelers along the way. I need not remind thee that it is a dangerous land, even without our current concerns, and a party stronger that an individual in all respects. Should additional assistance be required, I understand that Jaheira and Khalid are at the Friendly Arms Inn. They know little of what has passed, but they have ever been thy friends, and will no doubt help however they can.

Luck be with us all,

I'm getting too old for this,

E

* * * * * * *

"E?" Imoen asked when she was given a chance to read the scroll, "Who's 'E'?"

Andromeda shook her head to show that she didn't know. She had too much to think about. She wasn't certain what to do now. Heading back to Candlekeep was out of the question. The guards would never let her in without Gorion. Besides, it was Candlekeep, after all, where she had first been attacked.

"Imoen," Andromeda said, breaking the silence. "Do you know how to get to the Friendly Arms Inn?"

"Um, you just go north, along the great west road. Why? Is that where we're headed from here?"

Andromeda nodded. "Which way do we go from here?"

"Well, we can either go south until we get to the Lion's Way and take that until we reach the main road"." Imoen stopped when she saw Andromeda shaking her head. "Why not?" She asked.

"Those men might be searching along the road, it would be safer to head directly east, until we find the road north. Do you think you can get us there?"

"Yeah, sure, I don't see why not." Imoen stopped to get an idea of where she was. "East should be that way." She said pointing. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes," Andromeda said, "I'm sure."

Imoen looked down at Gorion's body. "We should bury him." She said quietly.

Andromeda pressed the tip of her boot against the ground, it was hard, and they had nothing to dig with. She gazed down at her foster father, with regret in her eyes. She bent down to touch his cheek. "I'm sorry father. I'll make you proud of me!" She stood up tall and looked at Imoen, "No," she said. "We don't have the time and if we remain here we'll be placing ourselves in danger." She looked over to Imoen. "Come on, let's go."

* * * * * * *

"We are lost."

"We are not lost, I know exactly where we are."

"We are lost"

"Look, I've told you a bunch of times, we're not lost!"

"Imoen, admit it, we're lost."

"No we're not!"

"Yes we are."

"No, we're not!"

"If we're not lost, then where are we?"

"Umm…"

"Well?"

"Gimme a second, I'm thinking." Imoen stopped to survey her surroundings, while biting her lip. It was getting dark already, and she honestly had no clue where they were. Not, that she was going to admit it. "Look, if we just keep heading that way, then we should…"

"Imoen?" Andromeda interrupted.

"Yeah?" she looked over to Andromeda, who seemed to be sniffing the air. "What?"

Andromeda turned to look at Imoen. "Do you… smell something?"

Imoen stared at Andromeda in surprise. "Smell something? Like what?" she asked.

"I don't know, something bad. It's like… like…" Andromeda shook her head, as if trying to place the smell. "It's like wet dog." She decided.

"Wet dog? No I don't smell anything like that." Her eyes widened. "Wait a second, I do smell something bad."

"I wonder what that is?" Andromeda said as she started to draw a blade with her left arm, as she put her pack on her arm. The sound of crunching underbrush, and strange barking voices answered the question. A group of strange half-man half-dog creatures stepped out from between the trees. Their large jaws were filled with sharp teeth, and over the smell of dog, came the smell of carrion. They seemed to be wielding a vast assortment of weapons; most likely salvaged from whatever other unfortunate travelers they had come across earlier.

"What are they?" Andromeda asked, as she took stock of the situation. There were more and more of the beasts coming out from all directions; she counted twelve so far. They were surrounded.

"They're gnolls." Imoen said looking over the large and vicious assortment of weaponry. She drew her bow and started to string and arrow.

"What do you think they want?" Andromeda asked starting to back away.

"I don't know, and I really don't want to find out." Imoen responded, as the leader of the gnoll band lifted a halberd menacingly in their direction. The sound it made may have been a laugh, but to the two young adventurers it sounded much more threatening. With a startled outcry Imoen released her arrow at the large gnoll. The arrow struck him exactly between the eyes. The great beast's eyes rolled upwards in disbelief, and its body fell backwards.

"Um, Imoen? Nice shot, but I think you made them mad."

* * * * * * *

"Suren Captain Deudermont will be waitin' for us in Baldur's Gate. We canna take too long on this errand " Catti-brie told her companion as they headed south, towards Beregost.

"We have a few weeks yet, before he plans to set sail again." Drizzt told his human friend. "Harkle's letter did say he had something important to tell us."

"Ach! By the time we get there that daft wizard will most likely have forgotten what it 'twas he wanted to speak with us about in the first place." She slung her sack over her other shoulder, before speaking. "What could it possibly be that would require us to come all the way down here fer?"

Drizzt shook his head. He certainly didn't know. Harkle Harpell's letter had been surprisingly vague. The two of them, along with Guenhwyvar, the panther, continued on in silence for a time. The trip had been uneventful, despite reports of growing bandit activity in the area. The warm summer sunlight shone through the trees in soft patterns lending a quiet, peaceful air to the forest. Guenhwyvar's growl and the sound of a distant battle soon shattered the peace.

Drizzt rested his hands on his scimitar hilts and looked over to Catti-brie, who was readying her bow. The panther began to advance towards the noise and the companions carefully followed. 

As they reached the edge of a small ridge they were greeted by the sight of a good sized group of gnolls advancing on a pair of travelers. Though a large number of gnolls already lay dead, it was obvious that the battle was not going well for the two humans. The smaller light-haired one was mostly unhurt, having taken only a few blows, but she was running out of arrows. The taller of the two stood protectively in front of the other, and seemed to be taking the most damage. She held only one blade, though her belt was designed for two. She held her single long sword in her left hand, and her right arm hung uselessly at her side, coated with blood. She was covered in a myriad of cuts; blood soaked though her tattered tunic in various places. Catti-brie was surprised that she could still walk much less fight.

A moment after they arrived, the dark-haired warrior let out a shriek and charged the nearest gnoll, a bastard sword wielding giant. With incredible strength she slammed into the creature, knocking it off balance. The moment the gnoll tried to regain it's footing, the warrior stepped in and put her sword in its gut.

As she stepped away another gnoll came up behind her raising its axe. Already exhausted from battle and wounded, the woman was too slow to respond. The smaller human, who had until that time been attempting to hold off the other gnolls with her bow sent an arrow at the beast, but it stuck harmlessly into the gnoll's axe handle. The blade-wielding human was saved by one of Catti-brie's arrows. The sheer force of the blow sent the creature up into the air. The human woman, startled by the attack, barely had time to move out of the way of the gnoll's falling corpse. 

By that time Drizzt and Guenhwyvar were already down the slope and making short work of the remaining beasts.

Catti-brie slung Taulmaril, her bow, over her shoulder and made her own way down the slope. When she reached the bottom she turned to look at the two young warriors and found that she had over estimated their ages. They looked to be no more then fifteen, or sixteen at the most. The smaller of the two was clutching her bow and looking at Catti-brie with a mixture of joy, confusion, and amazement. Catti-brie turned to look at the taller warrior as Drizzt came to approached the girl. The taller of the two seemed to be gazing at nothing at all. Thinking that the approaching dark elf was another gnoll she spun around suddenly, launching an overhead slash. Startled, Drizzt automatically bought up one of his scimitars to parry the blow. He felt his arms shudder with the force of the blow and though to himself that this child was nearly as strong as Wulfgar. With a single twist of his blade, Drizzt sent the girl's sword out of her hand. She swayed slightly and looked up at him. Her eyes were oddly glazed over. A thin trickle of blood escaped from above her hairline and ran down the side of her face. For a moment she looked strait at Drizzt and Catti-brie, with an odd sort of clarity. Then she smiled faintly and collapsed.

* * * * * * *

Andromeda opened her eyes slowly. She could hear a campfire crackling near by. It seemed to be early evening. She was lying on a bedroll. Her wounds had been bandaged and she was wearing a clean, though somewhat large tunic. She tried to prop herself up on her elbows in order to get a better look around, but a series of sharp pains in her arms, back, and head warned her against it. So instead she turned her head to the side to try and find out where she was. Imoen lay to her left, wrapped in warm blankets, and sleeping like a rock. To her right a tall woman with bright auburn hair was tending the fire. Andromeda tried to say something, but found that a pain in her chest prevented her speaking above a whisper.

As she watched, the woman stood up and walked over to the other side of the camp. Andromeda tried to turn her head further to watch, but found she could not. She heard at least two more sets of footsteps, and then muffled voices. As they got closer Andromeda found that she could pick up a little of what they were saying. The woman asked if there were anymore gnolls in the area and a male voice responded that he and someone called Guenhwyvar had not found any. He then asked if she had bandaged the girl. She replied that she had.

As they moved around the campfire, Andromeda got her first good look at the two new arrivals. The first was an elf, dark-skinned and light-haired. Andromeda knew at once that he was a drow, a dark elf. For a brief moment she was frightened, before she realized that he was carrying twin scimitars, and knew at once who these people must be who he must be.

Gorion had told her stories of the heroes of Icewind Dale when she was a child. They were well known along the sword coast. That meant that the drow was Drizzt, the dark elf ranger, and the woman was Catti-brie, daughter of Bruenor Battlehammer. So, then Guenhwyvar would be…

A large, black, feline face came up over the mound of covers and looked Andromeda strait in the eye. If she weren't in so much pain, she might have screamed. Guenhwyvar just stood over Andromeda and sniffed at her as if unsure what to make of her.

As if sensing her distress, Drizzt walked over to Guenhwyvar and carefully moved the cat away. He knelt next to her. "You're awake. Good evening." He watched the girl; curious to see how she would respond to seeing a drow. Strangely, she just smiled weakly and tried to say something, but her voice came out in a ragged whisper.

"Hush, little one," Catti-brie said, as she came to sit next to Andromeda. "Here, drink this, it will take the pain from your bones." She held a flask up to Andromeda's mouth for her to drink. Andromeda took a sip and winced at the sweet taste. She forced herself to drink the rest of the potion, recognizing it for what it was. As she drank Drizzt went to sit by the fire. She felt a strange tingling sensation as the potion did its work. In a moment she was able to breathe normally again. "Now why don't you tell me your name?" Catti-brie said, as she sat down next to Andromeda.

Andromeda looked up at Catti-brie told her that her name was Andromeda and thanked her, knowing the cost of healing potions.

"Ach, I'm not for letting a child suffer, and it's no great thing." Andromeda frowned at the word "child"

"I'm not a…" She began automatically.

"Not a child?" Catti-brie finished for her with a smile. "Yes, you are, and more so fer not realizin' it." She gently admonished. 

Andromeda frowned at that, but decided to change the subject. "Is Imoen okay?" she asked Catti-brie. 

"Yes she's fine. A bit frightened, that's all. Now how did you and your friend get it in your heads to takes on so many gnolls by yourselves?" Catti-brie asked.

"I wouldn't have if I'd had a choice." Andromeda responded, miffed. "I…I don't like to fight," She looked down at the blankets covering her legs. "Or kill." She added quietly. _Liar! Liar_! Her mind screamed at her. _You love to fight. You love to kill_. She did her best to ignore it.

"Aye, that's a heavy burden to bare, especially fer one so young." Catti-brie told her sympathetically.

Annoyed by the reference to her age, Andromeda snapped at Catti-brie. "What does it matter?" she asked, "They were just gnolls, it's not like they were people or anything. The world's better off without them!"

"Aye, that it might be." Catti-brie replied, saddened by the girl's response.

"Tell, me then, Andromeda, what makes a person." Drizzt asked from his place by the fire.

She looked up at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" she asked.

He trained lavender eyes on her. "What is it, that makes you a person, and the gnolls not?"

She looked at him, confused "I… I don't know," she stammered. "I guess because they're mean, and evil, and stupid."

"So are a great many humans, and elves as well." He said to her, "And some would say a great many drow."

"I'm sorry!" she stuttered, as she realized she was wrong. _Gnolls are people? What about ogres?_ She tried to ignore the implications "But you're none of those things!" she protested

"Oh really?" he laughed, "Do you know me?"

"I know about you," she admitted. "My father told me stories about you. You're Drizzt, the ranger."

"That I am, but who are you Andromeda? What are you doing out here alone? Your friend, Imoen didn't tell us much before she fell asleep." He asked, as he turned to face her, resting a hand on the panther's back.

Andromeda watched the panther for a short while, decided that since it was a cat, she was safe, and responded. "My father and I were traveling to the Friendly Arms Inn, and we were attacked by bandits. Imoen sort of just followed us. She's my friend from home." She hoped the lie would do, she didn't want them to start asking questions that she couldn't answer, questions she'd already asked herself.

"When did this happen?" Drizzt asked. Andromeda almost felt that he could see that she wasn't telling the whole truth. If he did, he didn't say anything about it.

"Last night." Andromeda said quietly, sitting up and crossing her legs.

"What happened to your father?" Catti-brie asked, fearing she already knew the answer.

Andromeda turned her head down and bit her lip. _Don't cry. Don't cry in front of these people. Heroes don't cry, _she though to herself. She turned to Catti-brie. "They killed him." she told them. Andromeda looked away. She didn't want to see their sympathetic looks. "It's not as bad as you think," she found herself adding. "He wasn't my real father. Just my foster father."

Catti-brie watched the girl carefully. The child was trying to bury her grief, not a good idea under any circumstances. Catti-brie herself had been orphaned at a young age and taken in by the clan of dwarves that lived in Icewind Dale. She understood the pain of losing a parent, and she also understood that losing a foster parent could be just as bad. "Where are your real parents?" she asked, afraid to offend the girl.

"Don't know," Andromeda said, looking up at Catti-brie intently, "My mother died a very long time ago. I don't know who my father is, or was. I never met him. I think he's also dead." She shifted uncomfortably, waiting for their responses.

"I'm sorry." Catti-brie said sincerely. "Where are you going to go now?"

"To the Friendly Arms, my father had friends there. He said that if we ever became separated, I should find them." Andromeda responded. She was glad that they weren't going to question her about it any more.

"Then we will accompany you and your friend there." Drizzt said starting to stand.

"No, I can't ask you to do that. It's too far and you must have something more important to do. Please, just show us where the Coast Way is, I'm sure we can find our way from there." Andromeda looked at him, startled. She already owed them too much. She couldn't take any more of their time. She was certain they had more things to do than look after stray children.

"I'm not fer leavn' you here all alone, not with bandits about." Catti-brie told her firmly. "Now, get some rest and we'll talk about it in the morning."

"But…" Andromeda began and was cut short by Catti-brie. "No arguments, just get some sleep." The older woman told her as she lay down to sleep.

"Alright." Andromeda said too tired to argue. Her eyes shot open in an instant. "Wait, my pack. I dropped it when I fought the gnolls." Drizzt smiled as he lifted a small sack and handed it to her. "Oh," she said, "Thank you." She reached into the bag looking for her mother's portrait. She found it. It was only slightly crumpled.

"Your mother?" Drizzt asked her.

"Yes," Andromeda responded. She sniffed. A tear ran down her cheek and fell on the picture. "She… She wanted me to be a warrior, just like her, but I'm not good enough." She felt ashamed, she had told herself that she wasn't going to cry.

"No, I think she would be proud of you." He told her.

"No she wouldn't, I needed help with those gnolls. With gnolls! A real warrior wouldn't need help, ever." He laughed at that. For a second she thought she was teasing her, but the laugh was not unkind. "What?" she asked.

"You sound almost like I did. But I found out that every warrior, no matter how skilled, needs help sometimes. If you do not admit that to yourself then you place yourself and your friends in danger" She took comfort in that. Andromeda had almost convinced herself that he had always been a hero, but every warrior must start somewhere.

"Still," she said, "I wish I knew what I was doing wrong."

"You seem to be unusually strong, and while it's good to use your strength to your advantage, it isn't wise to relay on it completely. You will find that doing so may be effective against unskilled opponents, but a better-trained swordsman will not be defeated by such an attack. You will also find that it is too tiring." She waited, absorbing his words. "Now," he said starting to walk away. "Get some rest and maybe I'll be able to give you a lesson in the morning."

Author's Note: Wow! That took longer then I expected! Chapter one is finally finished. I was originally going to go with the chapters in the game, but I decided against it. It would have made the chapters either too long or not detailed enough.

Well, please tell me what you think. Was it too long or too short? Did you like my portrayal of Drizzt and Catti-brie if you read the books by R.A. Salvatore or if you didn't, go out and read them! I know, I know, I changed some bits from the game. I did this for a number of reasons. First: I don't think that Drizzt would need the help of a low level character with a bunch of Gnolls, so I reversed it, by making the protagonist into the one being attacked. Second: I'm pretty certain that the game takes place during the time that Drizzt and Catti-brie were travelling together. And last but not least: I don't think that either Drizzt of Catti-brie would leave a pair of sixteen-year-old girls to travel by themselves.

Well, goodbye for now; please review this story since I like to know what people think of my writing, and of my characters. Constructive criticism is always accepted. If you want to e-mail me, my address is [FairySweetHeart@Yahoo.com][1].

As always, thank you for reading,

Lhianann-Sidhe

   [1]: FairySweetHeart@Yahoo.com



	3. Here, In Darkness

Baldur's Gate

The Lord of Murder shall parish, but in his doom he shall spawn a score of mortal progeny. Chaos shall be sown in their footsteps.

Disclaimer: I do not own Baldur's Gate, the Forgotten realms or any of the characters from the game or the R.A Salvatore novels. I'm just borrowing them and I'm not making any money off of it. Andromeda, however, is mine, so don't use her without asking first. Come to think of it, so are Noochie and Kalen.

Summery: The story of Baldur's Gate told with a female protagonist.

By: Lhianann-Sidhe

Chapter Two

Here, In Darkness

In her dream she was running, from blood, from death, from her enemies, from her true father's cloudy figure. He was always there, but recently he had taken on a darker form.

In early childhood when she dreamt of her real father she dreamt of the kind and loving figure she had created in her daydreams. Then he had been someone to come to her and tell her that her mother was not really dead, that he was sorry he hadn't been there for his child, and that he loved her. Guilt had later chased these dreams away. She felt that by imagining her real father she was somehow betraying Gorion. Her true father had abandoned her and her mother, or he was dead, or worse, she had heard stories of men who captured woman and… she could never bring herself to complete that thought. Gorion, however, was there for her. Her cared for her, raised her, loved her as a father, and expected nothing more from her then honest effort.

So, she forced herself to stop daydreaming of the father she wished she had. But now her father's figure had become dark and foreboding. His presence frightened her. The love she felt in her childhood dreams was gone, replaced by something cold and calculating.

* * * * * * * 

Andromeda woke early that morning. Her dreams had given her no peace. The sun had not yet fully risen and the small clearing that the camp had been pitched in was bathed in an odd grayish light. The healing potion that Catti-Brie had given her had done its work, and she was no longer in any pain. She looked about the camp uneasily. Sometime during the night the large, black, panther, which had for some reason not returned to its astral home, had come to lie next to her. She watched it carefully, wondering if she would waken it if she moved. Drizzt Do'Urden and Catti-Brie were still asleep, Imoen, however, shifted uneasily showing that she was either awake or sleeping only lightly. That, at least, was encouraging, Andromeda thought to herself. It would save her the trouble of having to rouse her.

Andromeda was uncertain when she had decided to leave without telling her rescuers. She stood, careful not to make any noise. As soon as her body left the panther's side, Guenhwyvar turned to look directly at her. She tensed, wondering what the cat would do. Guenhwyvar simply sat there, its yellow eyes unreadable. Andromeda suddenly had the ridicules urge to explain herself to the cat.

She bent down and tentatively placed her hand on the cat's head. Guenhwyvar accepted the touch without giving any signs as to his intentions. Andromeda looked into the creature's oddly intelligent eyes. "I'm sorry Kitty," she whispered, and then decided that the word "kitty" did not suit, or might offend the magnificent creature. She began again, " Guenhwyvar, I'm sorry Guenhwyvar, but I can't stay here with them. They've already given me too much. I have to make my own way." She hugged the great cat on impulse. "Thank you for keeping me company. I wish you could tell Drizzt and Catti-Brie I said 'thank you' as well." Guenhwyvar gave no indication whether he understood; he just watched her move away.

Andromeda lifted her pack and slung it over her shoulder, glad that the pain was gone. She found her sword belt and strapped it on. She then walked over to Imoen's small shape. The moment Andromeda came to stand over her, Imoen's eyes shot open. She started to say something, but Andromeda put her finger to her lips, silencing her. Imoen nodded, as she stood, but gave Andromeda an intent, questioning, gaze.

"Later", Andromeda mouthed, handing Imoen her pack and bow. As the two girls moved away from the encampment, careful not to disturb the other two sleeping occupants, Andromeda reflected that it was too bad she had chosen to leave. It would have been fun to be able to say that she had been given a lesson in fighting by Drizzt Do'Urden himself. 

It didn't even occur to her to wonder why, in this dangerous area, no one was keeping watch.

* * * * * * *

"Strange girls." Catti-Brie said to Drizzt the moment that Andromeda and Imoen left earshot.

"Yes" Was all that Drizzt said as Guenhwyvar came to sit next to him.

"They're hiddin' somethin' that's for certain." When no answer was forthcoming she asked "Are you sure that was wise? Lettin' them go off by themselves, I mean."

"It was their choice. We cannot keep them here." Catti-Brie could here his sign. She turned to look at the soft glow of his lavender eyes. "I do not feel entirely easy about it either." He said after a pause.

She changed the subject. "What did Harkle's letter say again?" She asked.

"Something about the prophecies of Alaundo."

* * * * * * *

"I wish you'd tell me why we had to leave." Imoen said. The early morning sun had risen well into the sky. They had not been walking more then half an hour and Imoen was already making a pest out of herself.

"I've already told you, Imoen, I didn't want them to go out of their way for us, they probably have more important things to do." Andromeda told her friend peevishly. She sent a small rock flying across the road with a well-placed kick.

Imoen rolled her eyes. "I meant the real reason." She said as she stopped and turned to look Andromeda in the eye.

"That was the real reason!" Andromeda protested.

"No it wasn't!"

"Yes it was!"

"No it wasn't!"

"Yes it was!"

"No it wasn't!"

"Let's not start this again." Andromeda said with a resigned sigh. She started to walk again, leaving Imoen behind. After a short time Imoen gave up on staring at her friend's retreating back and ran to catch up with her. The two walked in silence for a short time. Imoen kept her eyes locked on Andromeda's face. It was making Andromeda distinctly uneasy. She was fairly certain that was why Imoen was doing it. Not one to give up easily, and feeling ridiculously pig-headed; Andromeda simply ignored her friend.

They walked on like that for another ten minutes before Imoen spoke. "They sort of make me uneasy to." She said simply.

"What?" Andromeda asked, stopping again.

"Well you hear all sorts of stories about them and then they're real, standing right the in front of you, and it's kind of weird." Imoen concluded. Andromeda only stared at her. "I'm right, aren't I?" she asked a gleam in her eye, certain that she had guessed it.

"No, that's not it." Andromeda said. She decided that walking all the way to the Friendly Arms Inn with a determined Imoen would not be very amusing. Imoen could be very annoying when she wanted to be. "I just have to find my own way. I don't want to be indebted to anyone." Andromeda turned away from her friend. "Okay? Are you happy? Now can we just drop it?" she asked as she started walking again.

Imoen considered this briefly. "Okay, I believe you." She declared. "But I also think it has something to do with you attacking him."

"What?"

"You know, after the fight with the gnolls, when he walked up to you and you turned around and tried to attack him, and he disarmed you like it was nothing. He sent your sword flying! And I always thought you wouldn't be beaten, except by Nagayoshi-Sensei, now he sure clobbered you a few times…"

"Imoen?"

"What?"

"Shut up."

* * * * * * *

The sun was setting and Imoen and Andromeda had long since run out of things to talk about. They walked on in companionable silence, comfortable not to say anything. When they had stopped for their midday meal, they had found much to their surprise, that both their bags had been filled with provisions.

Andromeda had not taken time to look at her surroundings earlier; she had been preoccupied with either running or fighting for her life. Now she was amazed by how beautiful the area was. The last rays of the sun shone through the scattered tree cover, sending soft patterns onto the cobbled road and the small beds of bright blue flowers. She thought, that when this was all over, when she had avenged Gorion, she would come and live here, somewhere deep in the forest, in peace. It was an appealing thought, but she doubted that she would ever be able to. She was too restless. Perhaps in her old age, she would come back here, if she made it to her old age. Recent events were making her doubt that she would.

Andromeda lifted her arms behind her head to stretch and was rewarded by a loud crack. As she lowered her arms she noticed a figure standing in the distance. She immediately made for one of her swords before she noticed that it was only an old man. She silently admonished herself for being paranoid.

As Andromeda and Imoen approached the old man, he called out to them. "Ho there, wanderers. Stay thy course to indulge an old man. It's been nigh unto a ten-day since I've seen a soul walking this road, and I've been without decent conversation since." Andromeda stopped to at the old man, thrown off a bit by his use of such archaic words. He continued on, oblivious to her confusion. "Travelling, nowadays, seems to be the domain of the desperate or the deranged; if thou wouldst pardon my intrusion, might I inquire which pertains to thee?" He asked.

Andromeda just stared at him for a moment. He was taller then she was (which was not at all unusual) it was, however, his ridiculously long beard and his odd peaked hat that made him seem to be something out of the ordinary. There was something about his appearance that Andromeda found oddly familiar, though she was unable to tell exactly what it was. He just stood there, waiting patiently for her response.

"Not to imply anything," she began, "but how do you measure up to your own standards? Pestering strangers about their mental state hardly seems all that well adjusted to me."

He looked at her in confusion for a second, as if unused to such candid responses and then started to laugh. Taken back by his laughing, Andromeda could say nothing.

Imoen had already decided that he was probably insane.

"Point well taken, and thou hast answered my query most adequately. I shall think of thee as determined instead. I shall trouble thee no more, as thou art more then capable of the task at hand. North is the Friendly Arm Inn, where I am certain thou shalt find trustworthy friends awaiting. I have said too much and taken too much time from thee. Fare thee well." With that, he wandered off.

"Now that, was really, really weird. Do you think he was nuts?" Imoen commented after a short pause.

"I'm not certain, either that, or very powerful." Andromeda replied, then after a second her eyes went wide. "How did he know that we were going to the Friendly Arm?" The two girls stared at each other for a second, before going off to look for the old man, but he had already disappeared into the darkening night.

* * * * * * *

The Friendly Arm was widely known to be the largest Inn on the sword coast. Andromeda and Imoen knew this. They had been, of course, told about it many times, by Gorion, and whatever travelers they could pester into telling stories about the lands outside their library home. Candlekeep had originally been a fortress, as had the Friendly Arm. Candlekeep, however, couldn't compare to the sight that greeted the two weary travelers. They had grown up surrounded by high walls, though nothing on the scale before them. They loomed up many stories high, dwarfed only by the inner keep its self. Arrow slits dotted the enormous structure. Its sheer size would have been an effective deterrent to potential invaders. Andromeda couldn't imagine the army that would be required to breach those walls.

But, whatever war the fortress had been built for was long since ended, and the massive gates now stood open, welcoming travelers, rather then seeking to deter them. It was most certainly a relief to the two refuges that sought shelter there. Since leaving Drizzt and Catti-brie's company, the two of them had fought off a total of seven gibberlings, two gnolls, one hobgoblin, and two unfortunate young bandits, who had simply made a bad choice in prey. As far as Andromeda knew, the two young outlaws were still hanging upside-down, from a tree, by their belt straps, several miles back. The two girls were both in need of warn baths, hot meals, and a nice long rest.

They stopped briefly to converse with one of the guards before walking through the keep gates. It took the two of them only a moment to spot the staircase leading up to the main entrance. Grateful that this part of their journey was finally over, the two slowly began to climb the staircase to the large door.

At the top of the stairs stood a man in mages robes. He was older then Andromeda by at least a decade. He stood, leaning against the wall, examining his fingernails. A simple wooden staff leaned against his shoulder. Andromeda found something about him unpleasant. He ran his hand through slick, dark, hair. The instant Andromeda placed her foot on the first step, his eyes darted downwards and he smiled. Andromeda did not like that smile at all. It was a hungry smile, as if this man was sizing her up like a piece of meat.

"Hi friend, I've not seen you here before today. What brings you to the Friendly Arm?" He asked as she approached. Andromeda had intended to simply walk past him, but now he moved to block the entire staircase, holding his staff out at an angle from his body. His muscles were tensed, as if he expected conflict. If she tried to walk past him now she would have to step over the staff. It would be very easy for him to trip someone in that position.

Before Nagayoshi had agreed to teach Andromeda any real sword skill, he had first insisted she learned to be observant. To the impatient young girl this seemed like a punishment more then a lesson. Andromeda was a stubborn child and she wanted to be a warrior more then she could even begin to describe. At first she complained about Nagayoshi's lessons in observation, saying that an actual lesson in sword fighting would be much more valuable then staring at stones or birds, or whatever else Nagayoshi had chosen for that day's lesson. But when it soon became apparent that Nagayoshi would teach her nothing of sword fighting until she mastered the skills of observation, Andromeda had thrown herself into her lessons completely. She remembered getting quite a few odd stares from various passers-by as she sat, cross-legged on the ground and stared into a puddle or at the sky.

Even when she had learned to "observe" to Nagayoshi's satisfaction he still refused to teach her to fight with a sword, instead he taught her to fight with her hands. He told her that she could not hope to master a sword until she learned to master her own body. He spent a year training her to fight with her hands and feet, conditioning her body, and teaching her how to watch a warrior's muscles to anticipate an attack.

Looking at the somewhat oily wizard in front of her, Andromeda could tell that he was planning something. Andromeda prepared herself mentally for it. She only hoped that she could avoid falling into the mindless rage that had possessed her while she battled with the gnolls. While in that state of rage she had forgotten her training. She had somehow forgotten all the lessons she had learned from Nagayoshi. Drizzt's words to her after the battle were frighteningly similar to what her sensei had told her after their first confrontation. "It's good to use your strength to your advantage, it isn't wise to relay on it completely." She would not forget those words now. She would not forget those words ever.

Andromeda knew that if this man attacked her, she would kill him. She would not regret killing him. She would enjoy killing him. That last revelation startled her. There were times when she could feel darkness in herself more powerful then any evil she had experienced to that point. She rejected it. She would fight all her battles using only her own skill. She would not submit to the rage, and she would not accept the darkness.

She watched the man only a moment before responding. "I'm here to meet some friends" she told him. His immediate smile told her that was exactly what he wanted to hear. Fully expecting a fight now, Andromeda smiled back and stepped in front of Imoen. She wanted the fight. Catti-brie had told her that she was only a child, but when she fought, Andromeda could be so much more. Drizzt had proven that her skills were incomplete, Andromeda was no fool, and she knew and accepted that they were, but each fight, whether it be with warrior or wizard, brought her closer to perfection.

In those few seconds, something in Andromeda changed completely. She no longer wanted to be a hero; she wanted revenge for Gorion's murder. She no longer cared how other perceived her; she would be a hero but only by doing what she thought was right.

There was one more change she had to make. At her waist, there hung two swords, yet she rarely used more than one at a time. Andromeda had chosen to wield the matching long swords. True, Nagayoshi had suggested that she learn to use two weapons for it was common in Kara-Tur to match a katana with a wakizashi, but Andromeda had insisted on using two blades of equal length. It seemed a waste to her to use what she saw as an inferior weapon in her other hand. She was ambidextrous, so she thought that it would be better to make full use of her skill. She had, briefly, considered using a shield, but she decided against it. Any shield, no matter how small, would slow her down, despite her strength. Shields felt ridicules and encumbering; any truly skilled warrior could use a blade as a shield, by parrying attacks, and would not be forced backwards by and opponent's blows, as a shield wielder would. Two-handed weapons were out of the question. All of Andromeda's strength could not make up for her size, and any large blade or bludgeoning weapon would have been far to awkward in her grip, and would have slowed her more so then even a shield. So she made her final choice: two long swords. Nagayoshi had warned her against it, telling her that it required great skill to use such a fighting style, and he would not be able to teach her much about it. Never the less, Andromeda had made her choice. Yet her lack of confidence with the two blades prevented her from really ever using both.

This was something else she needed to perfect. She would have to learn to use both her blades effectively. Pity she hadn't taken that lesson from Drizzt.

"You must be whom I am to meet then. I will take you to your friends, but first I must be certain that you are the correct person. Is your name Andromeda?" The mage asked, his smile increasing as he felt himself nearing his goal. Andromeda had looked him over and decided that he was not a very powerful mage.

"Sorry, but no. I don't think you're the person I'm supposed to meet." Andromeda told him and stepped froward another step.

Now the man sneered. "Oh really? I would beg to differ. You fit the description, so it would be safe to assume that you are the one I seek. Don't move. I have something for you." The man sneered and called out a command word. A bright pink missile struck Andromeda in the lower arms as she brought it up defensively. The mage hissed and called out a second command word. His form blurred. In an instant there were five mages sneering at Andromeda, their mouths moving in the beginnings of an incantation.

The would-be assassin had not taken Andromeda by surprise as he had planned. She was prepared for his first spell and she was also prepared to counter the second. In an instant she launched herself forward in an attack that no sane fighter would ever have attempted against any ordinary opponent. But this was no ordinary opponent. This was a mage, and he was about to cast another spell. 

Andromeda pulled her swords from their scabbards as she lunged. She held them out as far as she could to the sides of her body. She understood the nature of the spell that the wizard had just cast. As soon as it came in contact with solid mater it would be dispelled. She had not spent most of her life surrounded by mages and spells and not learned anything. She would never make a good mage, but she did know enough about spells to be able to recognize them with ease. She not only understood the nature of the spell that the mage had already cast, but she also understood the nature of the spell he was about to cast. It was a spell meant to cause fear. It would effectively take away the recipient's free will and make them into a helpless, quivering, heap. Andromeda could not trust her ability to withstand the spell, so she knew she had to act quickly.

She did not expect to hit the mage, or to do any real damage if she did. Her attack was made solely to cut through the illusions and pinpoint the actual spell caster. The attack, though unorthodox, did exactly what she had designed it for. Unfortunately, not one of the four spell-casting forms that Andromeda slashed through was the real mage. He was the one standing farthest to the right. It made sense that he would chose the position; he could simply leap off the stairs if he thought he was going to lose. Andromeda had at least hoped that her attack would disrupt his concentration. The spell he was casting would not take too long to complete.

Andromeda spun around, a second too late. The mage released his spell. Andromeda felt the force of the magic begin to assert itself on her will. A cold fear began to creep into her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. She barely managed to throw off the spell's effects, before launching herself back at the spell-caster. He released a small brightly glowing arrow at her. The missile struck her squarely in the chest, but she shrugged it off.

The mage, realizing he would not be able to win this battle, tried to jump off the stairs and make a run for it. He was not fast enough. Andromeda placed her blade through his spine. She thought she heard him scream an instant before he fell dead.

The entire fight had lasted only moments. Imoen was still standing at the bottom of the staircase. Imoen had also understood that there was something strange going on, though not for the same reasons that Andromeda had. The man was too tense, standing as if waiting for someone, and it was odd the way he let so many people walk right past him, but the second he spotted Andromeda, his eyes lit up. But it was Imoen's instinct to hang back, not rush in directly the way best friend had. Imoen watched as Andromeda bent over the wizard's bloody form. Andromeda plucked something off the man's belt, but Imoen did not get to ask her what it was because a small group of guards was approaching.

The conversation was brief. A small number of witnesses told the guards that Andromeda was not at fault, for the wizard had attacked first. Andromeda was given a warning. The guards did not want to see her involved in another fight.

* * * * * * *

Once the two travelers were through the oak doors, Andromeda pulled the letter she had found on the wizard out of her pocket and began to read.

__

Be it known to all those of evil intent that a bounty has been placed on the head of Andromeda, foster child of Gorion.

Last seen in the area of Candlekeep, this person is to be killed in quick order.

Those returning with proof of the deed shall receive no less then two hundred pieces of gold.

As always, any that reveal these plans to the forces of law shall join the target in her fate.

Andromeda folded the note and put it in her pocket. It seemed that her pursuers had chosen a more indirect method of dealing with her. She handed the note to Imoen, who read it and then let out a low whistle.

"Gees! Now what have you done to get someone that mad at you?" The young rogue asked.

Andromeda only shook her head, unable to answer that question. Some part of her thought that this whole mad adventure was the result of a case of mistaken identity.

"Look, Imoen, lets just try to find Gorion's friends. They may have more answers then we do." Andromeda turned away and began to scan the room. She spotted a waitress. The waitress' name was Nessie, and she was most helpful. She pointed out a young couple sitting at a corner table. They were both half-elves. The woman was slightly taller then the man, she had an oddly severe look to her. The man simply sat there and looked nervous.

Andromeda and Imoen approached the pair to ask them whether they were Khalid and Jahira. Before she could get a word out the woman started speaking.

"Good day friend! You are the child of Gorion are you not? I recognized you from his letters, for he writes of you often. Forgive my manners; I am Jahira, and this is Khalid, my husband." She said, smiling at Andromeda.

"G-Good to know you." Khalid stuttered.

"It's nice to meet…" Andromeda began, but was cut off before she could even finish the sentence.

"We are old friends of you adoptive father." Jahira jabbered. "He is not with you? I must assume the worst; he would not permit his only child to wander around with out his accompaniment." Jahira seemed to have a very… forceful personality.

"If… if he has passed then we share your loss." Khalid quickly added before his wife could start up again

"Gorion often said that he worried for your safety, even at the expense of his own. He also wished that Khalid and I would become your guardians, if he should meet an untimely end. However, you are much older now, and the choice of your companions should be your own." Andromeda was beginning to become more then just slightly annoyed. Jahira spoke fast enough that Andromeda couldn't get a word in at all. Only Khalid seemed to have mastered that ability. He would start speaking whenever Jahira stopped to take a breath. _Poor Khalid, no wonder he stutters._

"We could t-travel with you until you got settled: help you find your l-lot in life." Khalid managed to get in.

"Yes, well, I do think we should stay with you. Gorion would have wanted us to." Jahira said and then paused, waiting for a response.

Andromeda realized that the whole conversation had passed, not only without her completing a sentence, but also without Imoen getting a word in. Imoen seemed too uncertain of what had just been said to make any comments. Now that, Andromeda thought, was amazing.

Andromeda took a deep breadth before saying, "Yes, I think I would like that."

"Very well, so that is settled. Do you have anywhere in particular you want to go? Or maybe I could trouble you for an account of how you managed to reach this Inn without Gorion?" Jahira stopped talking for a second to look at Imoen. "Who is your friend?" and without waiting for an answer, she started to talk again.

__

Heaven, help me, Andromeda thought to herself.

Author's Note:

This one was not as long as the last chapter, but close. I've already started writing chapter three, no idea when I'll be done with that. See the little box at the bottom of the page? Your review goes there. If you would like to see any particular NPC in this story, just say so in the review, I'll do my best to oblige. I would really like to know what you thought of my story, my characters, and my writing so please fill the review section out. Oh, by the way, this chapter gets it's name from a poem. You can read it if you like, just go to my author profile.


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